Metal Gear Solid. Not technically the game that started it all, but the game that truly started it all. The Metal Gear saga as we know it began here, not with the original Metal Gear. It’s hard to imagine that the gaming industry today, with its reliance on voice acting and movie-inspired cutscenes, would have evolved the same way without the release of Metal Gear Solid. It’s a true watershed title in the video game canon.

It’s also the game where Hideo Kojima and his team’s devotion to the smallest details became obvious. Each of the main characters, many of which go on to reappear throughout the saga, were thought through to unnecessary details like their height, age, and birthday. This list covers ten of MGS1’s main characters.

10 Mei Ling -  Early 20s, 5'2", Late 1980s

Everyone’s favorite analyst to call whenever they need to SAVE, Mei Ling, who is only rivaled or surpassed by Para-Medic. This 5'2" (160cm) data expert had Snake’s eye, leading to rapid-fire banter and flirting back and forth between them.

Born in the late 1980s, Mei Ling was young at the time of the Shadow Moses incident – probably her early 20s. She was still enrolled at MIT during the incident, in fact. While Mei Ling’s purpose in the game is mostly functional, MGS1 keeps her from being merely a save function to mash X through with her charming personality and conversation-provoking proverbs.

9 Psycho Mantis - 30s, 6'2", Early 1970s

The Third Child is one of the most enigmatic characters in the franchise. Unlike several characters further developed after the debut, like Vamp in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Psycho Mantis’ appearances in later titles fleshed out his backstory relatively organically. Born in the early 1970s in Russia, Psycho Mantis is a true psychic, capable of fourth-wall-breaking feats of power.

He was in his 30s at the time of his death in MGS1, Psycho Mantis was a long boy, coming in at 6'2" (190cm). His long, almost skeletal visage did a lot to reinforce the creepy vibes he emanated in his every appearance.

8 Gray Fox/Frank Jaeger - 50s, 5'11", 1950s

Solid Snake’s best friend before Otacon, Gray Fox was born sometime in the 1950s and grew up as a child soldier. Gray Fox saw plenty of death in his life, including his own. Originally thought to be dead after the Zanzibar Land Disturbance detailed in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Gray Fox’s body was rebuilt only to resurface as the Cyborg Ninja on Shadow Moses Island in 2005.

At 5'11", he died as one of the greatest soldiers to ever live, crushed beneath Metal Gear REX’s foot in his 50s, after proving that a cornered fox is more dangerous than a jackal.

7 Meryl Silverburgh - 18, 5'8", 1987

Another person who garnered much of Solid Snake’s attention and flirting (then again, Snake flirted with everyone he could in MGS1.). Meryl is 5'8" of pure spunk wrapped up in a rookie’s body. She struggles to do what’s necessary in moments of stress, like when she and Snake have to shoot their way out of the cell rooms at the beginning of the game, but her spirit’s in the right place.

Part of her rookie nature comes from her age. Born in 1987, Meryl was barely 18 at the time of the Shadow Moses Incident. How much Meryl struggled and some of her general naivety during the Incident makes a lot more sense once her age is taken into account.

6 Otacon - 25, 5'9", 1980

Everyone’s favorite scientist. Or, at least, Snake’s favorite scientist. Otacon has quite the embarrassing introduction when Snake stumbles into his lab in the facility at Shadow Moses, but the two develop a fast friendship over the course of the Incident and their subsequent exploits before Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.

Otacon was born in 1980, so he was 25 during the events of MGS1. At 5'9", he’s barely shorter than Gray Fox, although the cinematic that features the two of them makes Fox look like he absolutely towers over Otacon. Then again, being scared out of your mind and crawling along the ground can make almost anyone else look bigger.

5 Naomi Hunter - Late 20s, 5'4", Late 1970s

Naomi Hunter goes from being an off-island supporting team member to one of the driving forces of the narrative over the course of MGS1. Her motivations for revenge set in place much of the game’s later developments, and they have consequences over the course of the rest of the saga.

Naomi was probably around her late 20s during the events of MGS1, as she was born in the late 1970s. Packed in 5'4" is one of the most brilliant minds to scheme across the entirety of Metal Gear.

4 Liquid Snake - 33, 6 ft, 1972

Brother! Did you like his sunglasses? As one of the Les Enfants Terribles, Liquid Snake shares a birthdate with his Snake brothers: 1972, which puts him at 33 at the time of his death in MGS1. Despite getting the “recessive genes” (that’s not how it works, Kojima) compared to Solid Snake, Liquid still comes in at a solid 6 feet tall (183cm).

For decades, Liquid’s only appearance was in MGS1. Despite that, he became a beloved character, no doubt thanks to Cam Clarke’s incredible vocal performance. As a fan favorite, his presence towers over the rest of the series and reaches its extreme in MGS4, for better or worse.

3 Colonel Campbell - 60s, 6'1", 1936-45

Whether or not Snake admits it, Colonel Campbell is one of his true friends. A familiar face dating back to the Zanzibar Land Disturbance, Campbell is one of the longest-lasting figures in Snake’s life. He has the height to match his powerful voice and presence, coming in at almost 6'1" (185cm).

Unfortunately, Campbell is one of the characters without a clear birth date. He was born sometime between 1936 and 1945, putting him at anywhere as old 69 or as young as 60 while Snake infiltrates Shadow Moses.

2 Revolver Ocelot - 61, 5'11", June 6, 1944

Revolver Ocelot is one of the most enigmatic characters in the Metal Gear saga and arguably its true hero. His actions both on and off the screen both cause and end many of the events that define this decade-spanning story. He’s 5'11".

The Boss gave birth to Adamska on June 6, 1944, during the Allied invasion of Normandy. When Snake duels him around ArmsTech President Baker, the 61-year-old Ocelot has seen a lifetime of combat and reloading his beloved revolvers.

1 Solid Snake - 33, 5'11", 1972

He’s not a hero, he’s just a 5'11" (182cm) killer hired to do some wetwork. Solid Snake became the character we all know him as in MGS1, powered by David Hayter’s gruff, gravel tones. Another Les Enfants Terribles child, Snake shares a birthdate with Liquid sometime in 1972.

That puts Snake at 33 when he lands in the Fox Archipelago to stop the FOXHOUND terrorist uprising. If his adventures in Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 weren’t enough, Solid Snake truly became the legend here – even if the real person doesn’t always match up to the legend.

NEXT: Metal Gear Solid 3: Every Main Character’s Age, Height, And Birthday